1. Field Of The Invention
The invention relates to a process for producing a fill material or effect fibre and a fill or effect fibre material produced thereby which can be used in bedding products or to product effect yarns.
2. The Prior Art
A number of materials are currently used as fill materials in duvets, eiderdowns, jackets, sleeping bags and other such items. The fill material is chosen for its light weight, fill ability and insulating properties. Known materials used in these situations include synthetic fills, e.g., dacron, carded wool and down. However, these known fill materials suffer from inherent disadvantages. For example, carded, because of the linear orientation of its fibres, suffers in use from fibre disentanglement thereby, resulting in a loss in bulk.
At present, existing knops or neps produced from woollen fibres are used to create effect yarns and the knops or neps are produced in a number of ways. Each knop is a small ball of entangled fibres, i.e., fibres which are wrapped and/or felted on themselves. A problem with existing knops or neps in effect fibres is that there is a lack of entanglement between the fibres of the knop or nep and the fibres of the yarn with which they are entrained. This can result in the knops or neps falling off or away from the yarn or effect material.
An object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing a fill material or effect fibre material and a fill or effect material produced thereby.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an effect material usable in the preparation of synthetic and natural effect yarns, for example, in woollen or semi-worsted processing.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a process for handling wool and wool textiles in a rapid and efficient manner which results in the removal of vegetable matter and other contaminants from the wool and wool textiles.